United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Bridger, South Dakota, man convicted of three counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child, Sexual Abuse of a Minor, and Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child involving two different victims, was sentenced on February 14, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Bennett Belt, age 48, was sentenced to 32 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $500.
Belt was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 11, 2020. He was found guilty by a jury on November 5, 2021.
Between July 2003 and September 2017, in Bridger, Belt engaged in multiple sexual acts with children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, and the Pennington County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay Miller and Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.
Belt was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.